Quality Curriculum Components (QCCs)As a nonprofit, United Way agency, Children, Inc. focuses on providing quality care that prepares children for future success in elementary school. In all of our programs we focus and deliver on eight specific Quality Curriculum Components or QCCs. These QCCs help to shape the curriculum and indeed the way we manage our organization in order to ensure the highest outcomes and development in the children enrolled in our early childhood education and care.

http://www.changingbrains.org/The University of Oregon’s Brain Development Lab produced a series of videos available to watch online that highlight and describe the role of experience in brain development. We use such research as part of our strategies in working with children, and we encourage everyone to invest a little time to watch these and learn with us.

Michigan 0-8 Social and Emotional Toolkit“We all play a role in supporting positive mental health for all children in our community: from families to schools, from childcare providers to businesses, all parts of our community have the opportunity to support positive mental health development for our children.

Whenever you see children playing and learning in enriching environments, what you are really seeing is brain building. The latest science shows that these early experiences actually build the architecture of the developing brain; much like a house is built from the bottom up.

Each step lays the groundwork for the next set of skills – like reading and math-and a lifetime of learning, success and productive, responsible citizenship.

At each stage of development, from birth to adulthood, we know that social and emotional health matters and that we all have a role in supporting positive social and emotional health for our children.” -Michigan Department of Community Health